Sir Lewis Hamilton seemed to suggest Formula 1 stewards were targeting him after receiving a five-second penalty following the Singapore Grand Prix.
George Russell won from pole at Marina Bay on Sunday ahead of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.
McLaren clinched the constructors’ championship in record time but tensions are high after title rivals and teammates Norris and Oscar Piastri clashed on the opening lap.
After starting P5, Hamilton slipped down the order but fought back, only for his brakes to fail in the final few laps, and was forced to go off track a few times as he nursed his Ferrari to the chequered flag.
He managed to cross the line in seventh, just ahead of old rival Fernando Alonso, but was subsequently slapped with a five-second penalty for cutting corners one too many times as he struggled with his brakes.
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As a result, the seven-time F1 champion finished eighth at the end of a difficult week following the passing of his beloved dog Roscoe.
Informed that he would likely be getting a penalty over the team radio, Hamilton was left baffled, replying: ‘Surely there’s no penalty when it’s force majeure?
‘That’s one of the first times… first time I’ve had brake failure That’s definitely difficult. Sorry to lose the points but I was trying.’
Speaking to the media afterward, ahead of meeting with the stewards, the 40-year-old appeared to further question their decision: ‘I don’t know [why I need to see the stewards].
‘They probably want to understand why I cut the track or something like that. I don’t know. I seem to be with the stewards quite often nowadays.’
Why Lewis Hamilton was penalised at Singapore Grand Prix
F1 rules state that any driver who breaches track limits four times will be penalised.
‘During the hearing, [Hamilton] confirmed that he left the track at several occasions,” the stewards’ verdict read.
‘He was trying to manage a brakes issue situation. This being said, after further investigation, and in accordance with the list of exemptions foreseen in the driving standards guidelines, the stewards considered that this was not a justifiable reason and apply the usual penalty for such type of infringement.
‘This was not contested by the team representative nor the driver.’
Hamilton was summoned to see the stewards on Saturday after being investigated for speeding under the red flag but managed to escape a grid penalty for the race.
Fernando Alonso rages at Lewis Hamilton after late Singapore Grand Prix drama
Alonso benefitted from Hamilton’s post-race penalty but was outraged after watching his former teammate and rival cutting corners around Singapore.
The two-time F1 champion launched a scathing attack on the Brit on the Aston Martin radio, saying: ‘I can’t believe it. Is it safe to drive without brakes?
‘You can’t drive like that. As if you were alone on the track, listen. Yesterday, they didn’t respect the red flag yesterday, and today it’s a free track for them.
‘Sometimes they try to disqualify me for not having a rearview mirror, and now, without brakes, everything’s fine. Is it? I doubt it.’
The F1 season continues with the United States Grand Prix on October 19.